There's so much to learn in the world of Java and software development that you'll never be done learning it all. And it also changes all the time, so that when you've learned something, you'll have to watch out when the next version comes out and you'll have more learning to do.

Hi Kevin,
Check with your doctor to see if you have sleep issues. I had a team member who had sleep issue. Before he treated it he used to fall asleep standing in my cube and I had to sit with him and tap his leg during meetings just so he doesnt doze off. Then he saw a doctor and they gave him some machine for sleeping with. Since, then the guy is very active and my headache of watching him during meetings is resolved.

If that is not the case, then try Jesper's suggestion. Understand that Java is an ocean and if you do not have some knowledge of various parts of this ocean - you wont get a good job (Please hypnotize this into your mind - so your mind is stressed enough not to sleep).

Thanks for the reply. I am so new to my project, so getting to know people slowly. Only after some time i will be able to interact more and get to know new things, advice me how to interact with other team members, and even my team . I didn have a good KT. Almost learnin by myself. So how to approach my team members to share their knowledge. As a fresher to the industry, what i need to do exactly- like learning about my project, learning the tools we use, or anything else?

Kevin Navles wrote: I'm a fresher, and i get very little work to do. And its boring to keep on learning. Doin somethin practical is good, hope i get my share of work soon.

Assuming you're a Java guy, download Grails, install it, learn how to use it via online tutorials e.g. IBM Mastering Grails series, think of a small-scale problem that you can solve with it, demo it to your bosses, become the Go-To-Guy for Grails and all cool new web-apps. And if that doesn't work, at least you will have had some fun learning a new and hopefully marketable skill.

Alternatively, download Oracle XE, learn how to use it properly and become one of the few Java developers who actually understands the power of enterprise relational databases. (Guess what? A database is more than a passive persistence layer!)

In any case, talk to your boss and co-workers - maybe they have some simple tasks you can get working on, if not then at least you can work openly on your own learning projects without having to pretend to be busy (or awake). And they will be more impressed with your efforts to be useful than with your efforts not to fall asleep. I spent the first two months of my first IT job mostly doing photocopying, but at least I got the chance to talk to my colleagues while I was doing it!

But if all you can think of to do with your office time is sleep, and you really think "it's boring to keep on learning", then you're in the wrong business.

Kevin Navles wrote: So how to approach my team members to share their knowledge.

Just ask them. Even if you are too new to have such a backlog/wish list, I bet your team lead does. And as an added bonus, he/she is likely to want to spend the time to show you more about it if it helps a desired task get done!

Another source of ideas is the tasks you were given (and completed.) How would you do them better if asked again? This can make you faster for future tasks. I recommend asking the team lead first, but if you need something to do and the team lead (and all the other people) are on vacation...

Kevin Navles wrote:As a fresher to the industry, what i need to do exactly- like learning about my project, learning the tools we use, or anything else?

Joking:
Start playing around with stuff of those who have work. You maybe wont get work; but sleep would fly away.

Serious:
If you have net access, enhance your skills. If you don't have net access and can manage to read a book while feeling sleepy, use it. Get more Hand-on. Free time is the "best" to learn. Every second counts.

I experiment on "what if?" conditions to answer my curiosity when in such a situation.

You need to give yourself some assignments.
Get a hold of some of your company's applications and test the hell out of them:
Try to break the security. Find usability issues. submit bug reports.
Get a hold of the source code and read through the code and find things to ask your co-workers about.

tip back in a chair until you almost fall over backwards = WIDE AWAKE!!!
exhale all the way and hold your breath as long as you possibly can.
arrange your work area so you can stand up while you work
Yoga = the plow position seems to work for some people = gives lots of energy

and, as a last resort, this always helps me:
I imagine I'm riding my bicycle. A guy car pulls up behind me in his car and honks his horn and then blows by me screaming insults out the window. I catch up to him at the intersection and smash in his tail lights with my U-lock. He gets out and chases me, knocking me off my bike. He starts choking me and I start to pass out, but I reach out with my hand and feel a bottle, which I smash over his head, and... Wow. I'm getting all fired up just think about that!

Kevin Navles
Ranch Hand

Joined: Jul 26, 2009
Posts: 39

posted Aug 20, 2009 00:30:00

0

Eduardo Bueno wrote:I have the same problem as Kevin. Will take the Grails advice.

I decided to look into other team's works... And make them friends... But afraid what my team mates and TL think... Still a Damn New Fresher

If you dont' have work in your department, look to see what you can apply in others where your skills might be useful. If none exists there, learn something new. When I used to have jobs like that it's what I did to keep myself from falling asleep (or going insane.....either or)

And if that still bores you.....well I hope your my competition for my next job interview. ;)

subject: How not to sleep when i have no work in office???? Please help...